Pregnancy is the time a foetus develops inside the womb or uterus. It is also referred to as gestation period, usually when a sperm fertilizes an egg after it’s released from the ovary during ovulation. Certain foods women eat during Pregnancy tend to be problematic to the developing foetus, and as such should be avoided.
This period requires extra care as everything you eat, can gets shared with the growing baby. Thus a possible food poisoning that maybe not harm you can be hurtful to the child.
Certain Foods that should be Avoided if Pregnant
While there are certain foods during Pregnancy that needs to be prepared in a special way, others are best to be avoided completely. Below is a list of foods to avoid;
Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the foods that needs to be avoided completely by pregnant women. Because alcohol enters your baby’s bloodstream in the same concentration as yours — and takes twice as long to leave it.
Drinking alcohol heavily during pregnancy can result in your baby developing a condition called foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Undercooked or Raw Meat
The next on the list is undercooked meat, whether poultry, pork, sausages and burgers. Should be cooked thoroughly, should not be pink or have blood coming out of it. This is because some tiny parasites that live in raw or undercooked meats can harm your child.
Caffeine
Caffeine which is a major constituent in beverages, are difficult for newborns to breakdown and eliminate. Excessive intake of caffeine has also been linked to pregnancy complications.
It is recommended to reduce your caffeine intake as much as possible below 200mg a day during your pregnancy.
Certain Fishes
Fishes that contain mercury is not adviced to be taken during pregnancy. Mercury’s harmful effects that may be passed from the mother to her baby include brain damage, mental retardation, blindness, seizures, muteness, and lack of coordination.
Children poisoned by mercury exposure after birth may develop problems in their nervous and digestive systems, and suffer kidney damage.These are some other types of fish or seefoods you should limit. Don’t eat more than 2 portions a week of;
- dogfish (rock salmon)
- sea bass
- sea bream
- turbot
- Tuna
- SharkKingfish
- halibut
- crab, etc.
Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables
It is very important to rinse raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before use. This is because harmful bacterias like Listeria, Salmonella or E. coli can lurk on the outsides of produce and the microbes can easily spread to the inside flesh when a fruit or vegetable is cut, juiced or peeled.
Scrap away any lingering dirt and cut away any bits of produce that seem bruised or damaged, since these areas are more likely to harbor bacteria.
Hot dogs, Raw or Undercooked Eggs
These food might be tempting your pregnancy-crazed appetite but certainly not safe as they contain much preservatives. Nitrates and nitrites, chemicals used in food preservation that (in high amounts) aren’t good for a developing foetus. These foods also run the small risk of carrying bacteria (Listeria).
Also read: Improve your Sperm Motility and Viability with these Foods
Conclusion
If you accidentally ate foods during pregnancy you shouldn’t have, Call your doctor right away if you start to notice possible signs of food poisoning.
- stomach pain,
- vomiting,
- diarrhea or
- flu-like symptoms such as fever,
- body aches or headache.
Contaminated food usually makes you sick within one to three days after eating it. But if you are fine, you don’t need to call the doctor but be careful not to eat the again for the safety of the foetus.
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